We have no reason to expect the quality of intuition to improve with the importance of the problem. Perhaps the contrary: high-stake problems are likely to involve powerful emotions and strong impulses to action.

If people can construct a simple and coherent story, they will feel confident regardless of how well grounded it is in reality.

People are really happier with friends than they are with their families or their spouse or their child.

Often, the most enjoyable part of an activity is the anticipation.

One study found that people who just thought about watching their favorite movie actually raised their endorphin levels by 27 percent.

One thing we have lost, that we had in the past, is a sense of progress, that things are getting better. There is a sense of volatility, but not of progress.

When people believe a conclusion is true, they are also very likely to believe arguments that appear to support it, even when these arguments are unsound.